Frank Momberg back in Germany

Frank Momberg back in Germany

JAKARTA (JP): German Frank Momberg, the only foreigner to be released by Irian Jaya separatist rebels holding members of a scientific expedition hostage, has returned to his home country, Antara reported yesterday.

The military in Irian Jaya confirmed that Momberg, an official of the World Wide Fund for Nature, had flown back to Germany via Jakarta, the news agency said.

Momberg was released on Jan. 16, eight days after he and his colleagues were abducted, to bring the rebels' message to the military. Under the agreement, he was to return to the rebels.

However, as the negotiations dragged on, the rebels stopped insisting on Momberg's return. The German had volunteered to stay in the Irian Jaya town of Wamena to help with the military's efforts to secure the release of hostages by peaceful means.

The military attaches from German, British and Dutch embassies, who flew to Wamena when the hostage crisis began, have also returned to Jakarta. Some have sent their representatives, according to Antara.

The rebels, whose precise whereabouts is not now known to the military as they constantly move in the rugged mountainous Jayawijaya regency, are still holding four British, two Dutch and seven Indonesian hostages, all members of a flora and fauna expedition to the Lorentz natural reserve in Jayawijaya.

A team from the International Committee for the Red Cross office in Jakarta flew to Wamena last week and joined in the mediation efforts, but so far it has not been able to contact the rebel leader, Kelly Kwalik.

The Red Cross team on Saturday, with the aid of a helicopter borrowed from a missionary office, dropped thousands of leaflets appealing to the rebels to release the hostages, according to Antara. (emb)